May 18, 2011

“Let’s Go Fishing” Event Celebrates Weeks Act Centennial and National Get Outdoors Day

Pinkham Notch, NH - This year's "Let's Go Fishing" event scheduled for Saturday, June 18th will be a great way to learn how to fish or develop your fishing skills. As part of the New Hampshire Fish & Game Aquatic Resources Education Program, representatives and volunteers will be joined by the U.S. Forest Service and Appalachian Mountain Club to provide a day's wealth of experience and knowledge to help the beginning angler get started.

Participants, who register on the morning of the event, will receive a “passport” outlining 5 stations that must be completed before they can begin fishing. Educational and instructional skill stations will include: Knot Tying; Fish ID; Casting; Ecology; Macro Invertebrates; and Fishing. Each station activity will take 15-20 minutes to complete and once an activity has been completed, the passport will be stamped and the aspiring angler will be one step closer to casting a line in the stocked fishing pond.

The free event, co-sponsored and thankful support in part from the White Mountain Interpretative Association, will take place from 10am - 3pm rain or shine (*registration cut-off is 12pm) and all ages are welcome. Children must be accompanied by a parent or guardian and all persons should bring proper footwear and clothing as well as personal sun protection (hat, sunglasses, spf) and bug repellent. The fishing pond at Wildcat Mountain is accessible via the “C lot” entrance located approximately a quarter mile past the main entrance on the north-bound side of Rt. 16 heading toward Gorham, New Hampshire.

The “Let’s Go Fishing” Day event at Wildcat Mountain is part of a coordinated New Hampshire effort celebrating the Weeks Act Centennial and honoring the tradition of conservation and partnerships exemplified by the act, which created Eastern National Forests. This celebration of the Weeks Act and the creation of Eastern National Forests provide an opportunity to promote increased awareness of sustainable forestry, land stewardship and citizen-based conservation. This event is also included among the National Get Outdoors Day events in June which encourages Americans, especially our youth, to seek out healthy, active outdoor lives and embrace our parks, forests, refuges and other public lands and waters. And Smokey the Bear is scheduled to make an appearance at the event.